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Biomedical subjects

S Raptis

Publications and source records attributed to S Raptis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Changes in serum lipids and lipoproteins in cancer patients during chemotherapy.

We studied serum lipid and lipoprotein changes occurring during chemotherapy in 57 patients with chemosensitive cancers, including 18 malignant lymphomas, 18 breast carcinomas, 14 small-cell lung carcinomas, and 7 urothelial-cell carcinomas. Patients who responded favorably to chemotherapy demonstrated a significant increase in serum total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol values, with the singular exception of breast-cancer patients, who exhibited a nonsignificant decrease in both of these parameters. Serum levels of free cholesterol and HDL cholesterol did not show any significant changes. Finally, serum triglycerides tended to increase after effective chemotherapy, but this was of statistical significance only in breast-cancer patients. Although our findings were based on a rather small number of patients, they indicate that the lipid and lipoprotein disorders reported in cancer patients are reversible by effective treatment of the tumor, suggesting that these disorders are a secondary phenomenon of malignancy.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

The effect of an eucaloric high carbohydrate diet on circulating levels of glucose, fructose and non-esterified fatty acids in patients with cirrhosis.

Twelve cirrhotic patients and six controls were fed an eucaloric high carbohydrate (CHO) diet for 3 days. Fasting serum triglyceride (TG), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), glucose, insulin and glycerol were estimated daily. On the 3rd day of the study we measured NEFA, glucose, insulin, and fructose every 45 min from 07:45 h until 19:45 h, and then every 4 h until 07:45 h the next day. The patients were divided into two groups of six on the basis of plasma lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity: group A cirrhotics (with good liver function--LCAT activity: 40.6-65.7 nmol.ml-1.h-1; mean 48.5), and group B (poor liver function--LCAT: 23.7-32.3; mean 27.4). On the high CHO diet there was an increase in the fasting serum TG with a peak after 2 or 3 days. The increase in serum TG in controls was greater (p less than 0.01) than in either group of cirrhotics. In the controls and in group A most of the extra TG was carried in VLDL; in group B only 39% of the TG increment was found in VLDL. Fasting NEFA fell with 3 days of CHO feeding in the control group (p less than 0.01); they were unchanged in group A, and rose in group B to a significantly higher level than in controls (p less than 0.01). During day 3 when a high CHO diet was fed plasma NEFA levels fell in cirrhotics, and for most of the day the mean NEFA concentration in group B patients was significantly (p less than 0.05) lower than in normals. On day 3 glucose and fructose levels rose after each meal--much more in cirrhotics than in controls (and more in group B than in group A), and for most of the day they were significantly higher in group B patients as compared to the controls (glucose p less than 0.01, fructose p less than 0.001). Our results supported the hypothesis that plasma NEFA would be lower following high CHO meals in cirrhotics than in controls. This suggests that a high NEFA utilisation, which occurs in fasting cirrhotics, is not present throughout the day. Following a CHO meal, we suggest that tissues derive energy directly from the dietary sugars which are present in high concentration during the period of absorption and that this reduces the post prandial requirement for NEFA.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Duplex ultrasound mapping of sites of deep to superficial incompetence in primary varicose veins.

Most patients undergoing treatment for primary varicose veins have only a clinical assessment or examination with a continuous wave Doppler. In this study duplex ultrasound was used to determine the site of deep to superficial reflux in 137 limbs of 96 patients presenting with primary varicose veins. The incidence of saphenopopliteal (22%) and perforator (28%) incompetence was higher than that in previous studies based on clinical examination. Only five limbs had deep venous incompetence at the popliteal level and three of these limbs had lipodermatosclerosis or ulceration. The saphenopopliteal junction was either absent or more than 10 cm from the knee joint in 13% of limbs. The information obtained from duplex scanning of patients with primary varicose veins facilitates surgical management and may lead to a lower recurrence rate.

Femoral Vein↗
PubMed1992

Treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes with human granulocytic-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or GM-CSF combined with low-dose cytosine arabinoside.

In a phase II study, 21 patients with MDS (RAEB, RAEBt, CMML and RA and RAS with severe cytopenia) were randomized to be treated with 3 courses of GM-CSF (3 micrograms/kg/day s.c.) alone (11 patients) or in combination with AraC (20 mg/m2/d s.c.) (10 patients) for 14-d periods, interrupted by 14-d rest periods. Eight patients discontinued the treatment. In the GM-CSF group a marked increase in WBC and neutrophil counts during each course of treatment administration were seen in most patients. Platelet counts decreased in 14 of 24 courses of treatment in the GM-CSF plus AraC group but in none of the GM-CSF group. Although the changes in the circulating blood cells were transient and the counts tended to return to the pretreatment levels during the rest periods, some more durable effects were seen. In 3/6 patients of the GM-CSF group who completed the designed treatment, both WBC and neutrophils remained elevated above the pretreatment levels throughout the 3-month period of treatment, while in one of them thrombocytopenia improved considerably. In the GM-CSF plus AraC group, 4 out of the 7 patients who completed the treatment showed an improvement of neutropenia as well as anaemia. In these 4 patients the BM percentage of blasts was also decreased. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that GM-CSF given intermittently improves leukopenia in some patients with MDS. In addition, the administration of GM-CSF seems to prevent granulocytopenia of concurrent AraC treatment and may be of benefit in the treatment of these diseases.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: a multimodality model of treatment including plasma exchange, i.v. immunoglobulin, prednisone, antiplatelet agents, vincristine and splenectomy.

Thirteen patients with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura were treated at our facility between 1985 and 1991. All patients were treated with plasma therapy (both plasma exchange and plasma infusions), prednisone, intravenous immunoglobulin, and antiplatelet agents. Twelve patients achieved remission (92.3%). One patient died from cerebral hemorrhage. Vincristine was administered to 5 patients who did not respond after the first two plasmaphereses. Splenectomy was performed in a patient who relapsed four times within a 2-year period. From the 12 patients achieving remission, 11 have been still in remission for a period of 3 to 69 months.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Involvement of chromosome 5 in large bowel cancer.

We present here 3 of 30 cases of large bowel cancer cytogenetically studied, with deletion of chromosome 5. One of them presented a terminal deletion and the other two an interstitial deletion of chromosome 5q. In all three cases the segment 5q12-22 was deleted. Our findings may show that the segment 5q12-22 is important for a subgroup of colorectal cancers.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1991

Paraplegia in a pregnant thalassemic woman due to extramedullary hematopoiesis: successful management with transfusions.

The investigation and treatment of a pregnant thalassemic woman who developed severe paraplegia is presented. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a paravertebral mass infiltrating the epidural space, resulting from extramedullary hematopoiesis (marrow heterotopia). The patient was treated successfully with repeated blood transfusions and made a complete recovery. The literature (36 cases) is reviewed and the magnetic resonance imaging features of spinal extramedullary hematopoiesis are presented. The efficacy of transfusions in the management of spinal cord compression due to marrow heterotopia in thalassemic patients is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Diffuse pulmonary carcinomatous embolization: a rare and fatal manifestation of ovarian cancer.

A 44-year-old female presented with dyspnea and lethal respiratory failure secondary to pulmonary embolic carcinomatosis as a manifestation of ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma. Diffuse involvement of pulmonary arterioles and muscular arteries ranging from 30 to 950 microns in diameter was observed in conjunction with slight dilatation of pulmonary arteries. Vascular intraluminal changes included the presence of free clusters of malignant cells, superimposed thrombosis, varying degrees of eccentric fibromyxoid intimal proliferation with entrapped malignant cells, and luminal obliteration with neovascularization. The pathobiological aspects of this unique manifestation of ovarian neoplasia are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Involvement of chromosome 13 in myelodysplastic syndromes.

We report 2 of 80 cases of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) cytogenetically studied, with involvement of chromosome 13. The first case had a t(6;13), and the second had a t(1;13). Abnormalities of chromosome 13 mainly involving loss of band 13q14 have been described in hematologic malignancies. In both our cases band 13q14 did not participate in the deleted segment.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Preferential involvement of 11q23-24 and 11p15 in breast cancer.

Thirty cases of breast cancer were cytogenetically studied by G-banding using direct tumor preparations. Among them 20 cases exhibited abnormalities of the long and/or short arm of chromosome 11. Thus, 11q was involved in 16 cases and 11p in ten cases. There was consistent involvement of bands 11q23-24 (15 cases) and 11p15 (9 cases), where the cellular oncogenes ets and H-ras 1, respectively, are located. These findings suggest that involvement of bands 11q23-24 and 11p15 may be specific in a group of breast cancers, leading to the activation of cellular oncogenes or loss of cancer suppressor genes.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

A prospective randomized trial comparing somatostatin, balloon tamponade and the combination of both methods in the management of acute variceal haemorrhage.

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of: (i) somatostatin infusion, (ii) balloon tamponade with the Sengstaken-Blakemore tube and (iii) the combination of both methods, in the management of acute variceal haemorrhage. Ninety-two consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis who proved to have active variceal bleeding on emergency endoscopy were studied. Thirty-one patients were randomly assigned to an intravenous infusion of 250 micrograms/h of somatostatin (Group I), 30 to the Sengstaken-Blakemore tube (Group II) and 31 to the combination of both methods (Group III). Somatostatin was administered for 24 h, while the gastric and esophageal balloons remained inflated for 48 and 24 h, respectively, then deflated. Patients were under observation for a further 24-h period after withdrawal of treatment. If bleeding recurred, the same treatment was repeated in each group. Following treatment the bleeding was controlled initially in 22 patients (71%) in Group I, in 24 (80%) in Group II and in 25 (80.6%) in Group III. In Group II a significantly (p less than 0.05) higher proportion of patients (14/24) rebled as compared to Groups I (5/22) and III (6/25). Bleeding was controlled following retreatment in four, ten and five patients of the three respective groups. There were marked differences, in the number of complications noticed with each form of therapy. Only three patients (9.7%) in Group I developed complications (p less than 0.05) as compared to ten (33%) in Group II and ten (32%) in Group III. Hospital mortality in all three treatment groups was not significantly different.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Globin chain synthesis in myelodysplastic syndromes.

Globin chain synthesis was studied in the reticulocytes of 30 patients with various myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) to determine the alpha:beta globin chain synthetic ratio and its probable prognostic value. The mean (SD) value of the total alpha:beta ratio was 0.82 (0.45) ranging from 0.05 to 1.73. The same ratio in 10 normal controls was 1.01 (0.04). This difference was significant. Furthermore, the alpha:beta ratios were lower than normal in 14 patients (alpha-thalassaemia-like) (group I), almost within normal limits in 11 (group II), and higher than normal in five (beta-thalassaemia-like) (group III). In each group almost all the FAB subtypes were represented. The addition of exogenous haem in several of the test samples resulted in a slight to pronounced increase in the alpha:beta ratios, particularly in group I. In 92% of the high risk cases (refractory anaemia with excess blasts (RAEB), chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML] or 87.5% of patients who finally developed acute non-lyphoid leukaemia (ANLL) low or normal alpha:beta ratios were found. No significant correlation was noticed between alpha:beta ratios and various haematological variables or survival. It is concluded that in MDS the alpha:beta ratio varied enormously across the entire population of patients, as well as within each FAB subtype, thereby restricting its prognostic value. Although haem deficiency may be implicated in some cases of MDS, why this should be remains unclear.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Effects of alpha-glucosidase inhibition on meal glucose tolerance and timing of insulin administration in patients with type I diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: Miglitol, an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, delays absorption of carbohydrates. This study was undertaken to determine the potential of this agent as an adjunct to insulin in the treatment of diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Twelve nonobese patients with insulin-dependent (type I) diabetes mellitus were randomly selected from the outpatient diabetes clinic. The patients were made euglycemic with the Biostator, and postprandial hyperglycemia was determined under the following conditions: protocol 1, subcutaneous injection of insulin (13 +/- 1 U) given 60 min before the meal, with insulin dosages determined by the Biostator; protocols 2 and 3 same as protocol 1 but with insulin given at the time of meal ingestion; protocols 4 and 5 same as protocol 1 but with insulin given 30 min before the meal. Miglitol (100 mg) was administered in protocols 2 and 4 and placebo in protocols 3 and 5. RESULTS: When insulin was given 30 min before the meal with miglitol (protocol 4) or placebo (protocol 5), plasma glucose increased from 4.94 +/- 0.16 to 5.94 +/- 0.55 mM and from 5.11 +/- 0.22 to 8.22 +/- 0.72 mM, respectively (P less than 0.01). When insulin was given at the time of the meal with miglitol (protocol 2) or placebo (protocol 3), plasma glucose increased from 5.44 +/- 0.27 to 7.77 +/- 0.5 mM and from 5.72 +/- 0.22 to 10.83 +/- 0.77 mM, respectively (P less than 0.01). When insulin was given 60 min before the meal (protocol 1), plasma glucose initially decreased from 5.61 +/- 0.38 to 4.33 +/- 0.33 mM and then increased to 6.94 +/- 0.66 mM after the meal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

1-Deoxynojirimycin↗